N Function in Excel: Turn a Value Into a Number

⏱ 1 min readUpdated 28 September 2026

InformationLevel: ExpertAvailable in: Excel 2007+

In this article
  1. Syntax
  2. Examples
  3. Example 1
  4. Related functions

N returns numbers unchanged, TRUE as 1 and text as 0. Its oddest use is hiding a note inside a formula.

Syntax

=N(value)
Argument What it means
value Anything.

Examples

Example 1

=SUM(B2:B10)+N("Excludes returns, see sheet R")

A note inside the formula that adds 0.

VALUE · ISNUMBER

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